Our Biggest Year Yet - 2022 winners announced: Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards
Partnership between Academia and Business AwardWINNER Somnus
For their partnership with the Health Tech Hub at the University of the West of England
The partnership between Somnus Scientific and the Health Tech Hub at the University of the West of England has combined the Hubs core application focus of biosensing, diagnostics and monitoring, and Somnus Scientifics extensive experience in clinical research, anaesthesia and intensive care medicine.
The collaboration has resulted in the development of personalized sedation and anaesthesia which is safer for patients and better for the environment than anaesthetic gases.
Some of the CiteAb and Storm team at work
Outstanding Achievement AwardHIGHLY COMMENDED Speechtools
Speechtools’ apps have been designed to overcome a direct clinical challenge for speech and language therapists and their patients. Speechtools were Highly Commended in the Outstanding category for two apps: Swallow Prompt designed to support people living with Parkinsons disease; and Christella VoiceUp app, the only speech therapy app in the UK which provides specialist voice therapy to trans women wanting to feminize their voice. Speechtools apps are now used by over 10,000 people a month and have the potential to reach and help many more.
Advances in Digital Healthcare AwardHIGHLY COMMENDED Neuronostics
Using advanced mathematical models and powerful artificial intelligence tools, Neuronostics’ algorithms provide digital biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of neurological conditions. Their first clinical indication is in epilepsy, where their patented BioEP (Biomarker of Epilepsy) risk score provides a fast and accurate measure of the risk of future seizures by interrogatin routinely acquired EEG. In collaboration with academic partners from the Universities of Plymouth, Exeter and Birmingham, alongside 8 NHS Trusts, the company have been validating BioEP in the context of clinical diagnosis and at-home management of epilepsy.
Start Up
Winner: Drill SurgeriesHighly Commended: Heal Med & NeokareExport
Winner: PowerBreatheHighly Commended: GBUK & High Force ResearchDelivering Innovation into Health & Care
Winner: TUTUM MedicalHighly Commended: LLesiant Delta Wellbeing & CaptureStrokeInnovation
Winner: EarswitchHighly Commended: Residual Barriers Tech & YourGeneOutstanding Achievement
Winner: PaxmanHighly Commended: Docobo & SpeechtoolsAdvances in Digital Healthcare
Winner: SpiritHighly Commended: Synopsis & NeuronosticsPartnership between Academia & Business
Winner: SomnusHighly Commended: Surepulse & LightOxWe are delighted with the South West’s performance this year with not one but TWO Winners as well as two Highly Commended placements.
The seven Medilink UK winners were chosen from an exclusive shortlist comprised entirely of winners from each of the regional Medilink awards. The Med-Tech Innovation award winners were chosen by an independent judging panel, who represent key stakeholders from across the supply chain. The panel was tasked with assessing each entry in each of the seven categories on the merit of their contribution to the medical device engineering supply chain.
Innovation AwardWINNER Earswitch
EarSwitch Ltd’s central ethos is to provide communication devices, and control of assistive devices (such as prosthetic arms for people with amputation, and arm exoskeletons for people with paralysis or stroke).
However, its patented EarSwitch and related 5 further patents pending, expand its horizons far further; encompassing multiple platform technologies with global markets across multiple verticals.
Collaboration with the NHS Award Finalist: HCI
HCI delivers digital health solutions for the NHS and other industry partners that enable, educate
and empower patients. They have grown to become the UK's largest provider of health information videos and the people behind the national and personalised Health and Care Video Library platforms. Their highly skilled team of in-house software developers, UX designers, researchers, videographers, project managers and marketing specialists all work together to deliver large scale digital projects with clinicians and their patients, NHS Trusts, and transformation leads.
Start-Up Award
Finalist: MilbotixMilbotix Smart Socks help those involved in caring for people who experience communication difficulties to better manage distress. The smart socks incorporate sophisticated sensors and algorithms to monitor activity and stress. Used by people with neurocognitive and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., dementia, autism spectrum disorders, and some learning disabilities), this new wearable technology could help to improve quality of life, reduce agitation, increase independence, decrease burden on families and carers, and save costs for health and social care.
After a busy first day at Med-Tech Innovation Expo (the UK and Ireland’s leading showcase for medical device design and manufacturing technology), guests enjoyed a three-course, black-tie dinner, drinks and entertainment.
Kevin Kiely, executive chairman, Medilink North of England said:
“The Medilink UK Awards have once again been a roaring success, and I offer my congratulations to all of the award winners, highly commended and finalists. It’s been great to see so many people from across the country coming together again to celebrate the exceptional achievements and contributions to the life sciences sector. As a national industry support organisation, Medilink UK is pleased to work with our companies, adding value by helping them, and the life science sector as a whole, to grow, both nationally and internationally. We are proud to be contributing to their success, and I am confident that each of the companies who are here tonight will go on to do amazing things.”
Duncan Wood, CEO of Rapid News Group added:
"Huge congratulations to all of tonight's winners, runners up and finalists! It's been an amazing evening, seeing everyone come together to celebrate the incredible achievements made in the life sciences industry over the past year. We are proud to have partnered with Medilink UK again to help to celebrate the achievements made by their members and support the continued growth and development of the sector. Of course, fantastic to celebrate the achievements acknowledged in the Med-Tech Innovation Awards alongside."